Device for manipulating account forms in rotary office machines



2,411,335 DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING ACCOUNT FORMS IN ROTARY OFFICE MACHINES G. PREZIOSO Nov. 19, 1946.

Filed March 13, 1945 IN YEN 7' 1? G/(LSEPPE; Peazrasa,

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. PREZIOSO Nov. 19, 1946.

DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING ACCOUNT FORMS IN ROTARY OFFICE MACHINES Filed March 13', 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR l/SEPPE Pz/o.so

ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1946. s. PREZIOSO 2,411,335

DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING ACCOUNT FORMS IN ROTARY OFFICE MACHINES Filed March 15, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INYENTDE G'IUSEPPE rezz/aso,

NOV. 19, 1946. PREZIQSQ 2,411,335

DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING ACCOUNT FORMS IN. ROTARY OFFICE MACHINES Filed March 15, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVE/VTDE' GHASEPPEI QE 0s Patented Nov. 19, 1946 DEVICE FOR MANIPULATING ACCOUNT FORMS IN ROTARY OFFICE MACHINES Giuseppe Prezioso, Yverdon, Switzerland, assignor to E. Paillard et Cie S. A., a corporation of Switzerland.

Application March 13, 1945, Serial No. 582,441 In Switzerland May 24, 1944 9 Claims.

It is known that typewriters or calculating machines comprising a platen are not, suitable for bookkeeping work. In fact, for such operations it is necessary tointroduce on the platen, and over the first sheet of paper constituting the journal sheet, several additional independent sheets. The last line of writing on these additional sheets must be written to register with the last line of writing on the sheet carried next to the platen, which is generally the journal sheet.

But to effect that, it is necessary on a typewriter to free the journal sheet engaged on the platen and to slide along the invoice form or balance sheet which is above the journal sheet,

. then to adjust the two sheets, until they register correctly. This work is very difficult to do and also tedious, and besides that the carbon paper placed between the sheets dirties the journal 'sheet. In consequence this Work takes a very long time to effect and it is practically impossible to insist on having clean and neat work. In certain cases it is also necessary to introduce over the invoice form a second independent sheet constituting the statement of account. The last line of writing of this statement must in the same way be made to register with the last lines of Writing on the journal sheet and on the invoice form. This lastoperation is practically impossible without a great loss of time.

Certain designers have sought to remedy these drawbacks by arranging, above and in front of the platen, guide rollers for each of the independent sheets; These devices are not very practical and if they allow at the very least the introduction and correct placing of one additiohal independent sheet, they cannot be used to introduce a second additional independent sheet. In fact the guide rollers of this second sheet are necessarily at some distance away from the platen, so that it is necessary to provide guides to lead the sheets tangentially to the platen at the height of the typing line. Consequently it is necessary to provide a very big upper margin and it is no longer possible to use sheets of standard size. In known devices of this kind, and in order to avoid the necessity of releasing the rollers holding the journal sheet on the platen, the additional independent sheets move in guides which direct the sheet to the back of the machine.

The present invention relates to a device for manipulating the sheets of account forms'in an oifice machine such as a typewriter or a. calculati-ng machine comprisinga platen, in which maj 2 chine at least one sheet, of paper is drawn .by the platen and theothers by crossbars. controlled, by tapes and held in a position always parallel to the axis of .the platen. r

This device eliminates the drawbacks mentioned above by the, fact that it has, in addition. to the normal members for keeping a sheeton the platen of the machine, other members for handling the account forms or other additional sheets. The subject. of the present invention is distinguished from hitherto known devices for this kind by the fact that the tapes carrying the crossbars by their ends are connected at one end to a tensioning drum which is subjected to the action of a spring, and at the other end to a manipulating drum which is subjected, to the action of an escapement device, the crossbars being adapted for holding the sheets by their upper edge, and a guide or roll passing under the rollers or members holding the sheet carried by the platen, being provided to guide freelythe lower ends of the sheets which are carried by the crossbars.

The accompanying drawings show diagrammatically and by way of example one form of embodiment of the object of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is an assembled View in perspective of my apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a median cross-section;

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective with parts removed; i

- Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views of details, the last two to different scales from the first.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 5, themovable part of the carriage of the machine is fitted at each end with aside-piece [0 serving as support for the various members of the device. Each side-piece 10 carries, near the platen a stub shaft II on which are freelymounted two rollers I2 and I3. On each stub shaft also pivoted an arm l4 carrying at its free end two rollers I5 and [6, as well'as two spring tensioning barrel members l1 positioned beside each other and turning loosely on a long shaft I8 which serves also as a connecting bar between the free ends of the two arms l4. One end of the spring of the barrel connected to control drums-2l and 22-respectively. Each pair of control drums is rigidly fixed on an individual long rotating shaft 23 and 24 respectively, carrying a toothed pinion 25 and 26 respectively. Each of these \pinions meshes with a toothed segment 21 and 28 respectively rigidly fixed on a rotating shaft 29 and 39 respectively operated by a crank 3| and 32 respectively arranged on the outer, face of the right-hand side piece l (Fig.

Each arm 14 is connected to the upper end of the supporting side-piece I0 by a toggle lever 33, allowing it to be held in the working position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, or to be folded down as shown in Fig, 2, to allow the machine to be used normally, in the case for instance of. a. typewriter, for correspondence.

The tapes l9 serve as support for a crossbar 3d and the tapes for a crossbar 35. Each crossbar carries a slider member 36 (Fig. 1-) movable longitudinally on it and allowing the sheetof paper to be placed at the desired position along the I width of the platen. On the other hand, holding or fastening members 31 are provided on slider member 36 for the upper margin of the sheet of paper. I

As can be seen from Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8, the rollers. supporting the tapes l9 and 20 are arranged in such. a way'that the tapes converge from the end of each arm M towards the typing line on the platen.

As shown. in Fig. 1, the mechanism carried by each arm [4, and also the tapes I9 and 20, are covered by a casing 38.

Toallow not only. the adjustment or individual. displacement of each crossbar and of the sheets of paper which they, carry, but also the operation of the advance step-by step of all the sheets at the same time as those carried on the platenof the machine andoperated by the spacing lever, the operating device'shown in Fig. 8 has been provided.

Inaddition to the rotating shafts 23 and 24 carrying respectively the manipulating drums 2| and 22 mounted on their ends, the left-hand sidepiece l0 carriesalso onits outer. face the device shown in Fig. 8. For the sake of simplicity, this devic e is not shown in all thefigures of the drawmgs.

"As can be seen, the shafts 23, and. 24, pass through the side-pieces l0 and, each, of them carries at its end an escapementwheel, or ratchet 39 and 40 respectively, the, pitch ofthe teeth corresponding to the spacing of the. line'son the sheets of paper. The escapement device cooperating with each escapement wheel is constituted by apawl 4| subjected to the action of aspring which maintains it. normally. in engagement with the escapementwheel andby an auxiliary pawl 42 operating the first pawl and ensuring itspassingfzfrom one tooth of thewh'eel tothe, other when the escapement device is operating.

The auxiliarypawls 4; are subjected toithe action of a springwhich keeps them normally out of engagement with the. pin on; each paw1 4! is rigidly fixed to; an operatin lever 43, by which rs b he rimner meet F For placing the sheet B in position on the desired line of writing, the crank 3| is operated which, by means of the toothed segment 21 of the pinion 25 moves the operating control drum 2 I, this latter being maintained in the chosen position by the pawl 4|. The tape l9 winds up on thedrum 2. against the. action of the spring in the barrel l1, so that it always remains taut.

The sheet C is brought into position in a similar manner by means of the crank 32.

As can be seen from Fig. 6, the sheets B and 0 like the tapes which carry them, converge, while being displaced from above to below, towards the typing line on the platen. The two sheets pass freely under the latter in a guide 46.

Fig. '7 shows diagrammatically and in perspective, in what way the sheets A, B and C come to lie over each other on the cylinder of the machine.

Once the sheets are put in position, as described above, they are caused to advance simultaneously from one line of writing to the next by means of the spacing lever of the machine with the help of the device shown in Fig. 8.

On the other hand each sheet can be displaced by. itself for instance:

The sheet A by operating the platen of the machine by its end knobs;

The sheet B by operating the crank 3| for putting it in place, or the operating lever 43 of the escapement wheel 39 for taking it out of engagement;

The sheet 0 by operating the crank 32 for putting itin place, or the operating lever 43 of the escapement wheel as for taking it out of engagement.

tained the. nature of my said inventionand in I what manner thesame is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A device for manipulating sheets of account forms in a rotary ofiice machine in which atleast one sheet of paper is carried by the platen of the machine and the others by crossbars operated by tapes and held in a positionalways parallel to the axis of the platen, in which the tapes carrying the crossbars by their ends are connected at one end to a tensioningdrum which is subjected to theactign ,ofa spring, and at the other end to a manipulating drum which is subjected I to the action of an escapementdevice, the crossbars being adapted for holding the sheets by their upper edge, and a guide passing under the members holding the sheet carried by the platen being provided, to guide freely the lowerendsof the sheets carried by the crossbars.

2. A device as claimed-in claim 1, which comprises operating members to actuate separately each pair of tapes carrying a crossbar.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, having fixed supports, rigidly connected to the. m0V,ab1efpart of. the .carriage of the machine and. carryingthe manipulating drums, the tensioning drums being.

mounted on pivoting supports hinged on the said fixed supports.

4. In a line spacing copy attachment for a writing machine, a platen, a pair of terminal plates for rotatably mounting said platen, journal sheet retaining means for retaining a journal sheet in engagement with said platen, platen line spacin means for advancing the writing position of said platen line by line, pivot means carried by each of said terminal plates adjacent said platen, a pair of idler rollers respectively mounted on said pivot means, a pair of arms respectively supported at one end thereof by said terminal plates, a pair of spring drums carried at the free end of each of said arms, a shaft rotatably mounted between said terminal plates, a pair of control drums fixedly carried by said shaft at opposite ends thereof, a pair of flexible tapes extending respectively from each of said spring drums over the correspondin said idler roller to its corresponding control drum, a transverse member carried by and extending between the portions of said tapes which extend between said control drums and said roller substantially parallel to the axis of said platen, paper engaging means carried by said transverse member, said drums and said rollers being so positioned as to feed a sheet carried by said engagin means around the bottom of said platen and over said journal sheet to the writing line of said platen, and auxiliary line spacing means actuatable by said platen line spacing means and adapted to advance said shaft and said control drums line by line in register with said platen line spacing means.

5. An attachment according to claim 4, and a guide member mounted under said platen and adapted to guide a sheet of paper carried by said engaging means beneath said platen but in spaced relation thereto substantially up to the writin line thereof.

6. An attachment according to claim 4, said arms being rotatably mounted on said pivot means, and displaceable means for maintaining said arms in fixed position with reference to said plates,

7. In a line spacing multiple copy attachment for a writing machine, a platen, a pair of terminal plates for rotatably mounting said platen, journal sheet retaining means for retaining a journal spacing means for advancing the writing position of said platen line by line, a pair of pivot means carried respectively by each of said terminal plates adjacent said platen, four pairs of idler rollers, one pair of said rollers being mounted on each of said pivot means, a pai of arms respectively supported at one end thereof by said terminal plates, two pairs of spring drums, one pair of spring drums bein mounted at the free end of each of said arms, a pair of shafts rotatably mounted between said terminal plates, two pairs of control drums, one control drum of each pair being fixedly carried by each said shaft at opposite ends thereof, two pairs of flexible tapes extending respectively from each of said spring drums over the corresponding said idler roller to its corresponding control drum, a pair of transverse members respectively carried by and extending between the portions of two corresponding tapes extending between said control drums and said rollers and substantially parallel to the axis of said platen, a pair of paper engaging means respectively carried by said transverse members, said drums and said rollers being so positioned as to feed two sheets of paper respectively carried by said engaging means around the bottom of said platen in mutually superposed relation and over said journal sheet to the writing line of said platen, and auxiliary line spacing means actuatable by said platen line spacing means and adapted to advance said shaft and said control drums line by line in register with said platen line spacing means.

8. An attachment according to claim 7, said two spring drums on each said arm being so positioned thereon that the tape paths between said spring drums and the corresponding said pivot means diverge substantially, whereby said transverse members and said paper engaging means hold in spaced relation sheets of paper respectively engaged thereby.

9. An attachment according to claim 7; and a guide member mounted under said platen and adapted to guide superposed sheets of paper carried respectively by said two paper engaging means beneath said platen but in spaced relation thereto substantially up to the writing line thereof.

GIUSEPPE PREZIOSO.

sheet in engagement with said platen, platen line 

